


OC Ari Commissions

by FanfictionConnectionWordpress



Series: Commissions [3]
Category: Mystic Messenger (Video Game)
Genre: F/M, Multi, Mystic Messenger Fanfiction, Saeran ChoixOC, Saeyoung Choi - Freeform, Saeyoung Choi x OC & Saeran Choi x OC, Saeyoung ChoixOC, Vanderwood - Freeform, fanfictionconnection
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-09
Updated: 2018-06-19
Packaged: 2019-04-20 14:26:12
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 18,001
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14262987
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FanfictionConnectionWordpress/pseuds/FanfictionConnectionWordpress
Summary: Commissions completed for @kittysymphony on tumblr for her OC Ari.





	1. Debts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Saeyoung tries to pay Jumin back in the only way he knows how - working himself to exhaustion and pain. Ari tries to intervene, and a fight ensues. Will they be able to get through it?

***I was commissioned by @kittysymphony on tumblr asking me for something SaeyoungxOC Ari - angsty that would have making up, adding in some smut to the mix. Naturally, I had to include Vanderwood, because he would want to be the opposite of involved.  ~Let’s Connect! FFC***

Saeyoung just wouldn't stop working. Ari nearly couldn't take it, her blue eyes watching like a hawk's as he once more stopped to rub at the scar from his injury during the Mint Eye incident. The doctors had told him that prolonged periods of typing would cause him great pain, and yet here he was, hacking again. "Saeyoung..." Her voice was soft at first, just trying to gently get his attention so that she could speak with him, but it seemed he hadn't heard her. Ari repeated herself a few times before she flicked some of her dark black hair over her shoulder in irritation, her voice becoming much louder. "Saeyoung. Stop typing this instant."

The redhead was focused, his headphones over one ear just in case he was needed. With how hyper-focused he was, though, it obviously hadn't had any effect. He only heard her voice once it was sharp and gruff. Saeyoung furrowed his brows. What made her think she could use that tone with him, really? Then again, he probably deserved it. With as much as he was working on this project, he was ignoring her an awful lot.

He turned in his chair, facing her as he pulled off his headphones completely, gulping softly at the harsh look in her eyes which at least seemed to soften as she now had his attention. "What is it, Ari? I'm working on something, and I really need to get it done." Saeyoung had at most six hours to hack through this offshore account from the mafia boss in America before they realized their money was being siphoned out into an account of his own, dispersed over several other accounts until it would make its way to Jumin. Dirty money, but that was the only way Saeyoung knew how to repay the raven-haired man. All of those hospital bills he and his brother had had added up.

"What are you even working on?" Ari's voice had softened considerably, and she now stepped over to him, her hand lightly placed on his hoodie over the scar she knew was beneath the fabric. "What could be worth hurting yourself over?" She liked to think that she was understanding, and Saeyoung certainly wasn't stupid. There had to be a good reason that he was running himself into the ground.

The redhead chewed on his cheek as he watched her, unsure of whether she should know. If he did happen to get caught, which of course he wouldn't, but…she’d be at risk. It was a legal issue he wasn't willing to risk when it came to her. Hacking was dangerous, no matter how good at it he was. "I can't tell you." His mouth formed a grim line before he turned back around in his chair, placing his fingers on the keys again. "It's important, and I only have a few hours left to do it."

Ari had opened her mouth as though to argue with him that he could tell her anything before he turned around again. Now her mouth formed a frown, somewhere between hurt and angered. Was he really turning away from her? She just wanted to help, and he was trying to shut her out much like he had before he'd admitted his feelings for her. "Saeyoung. I just want to help you."

He winced at the hurt in her tone, biting at the inside of his cheek again before responding with his own firm tone. "Well, you can't. I have to do this." This job would get him nearly half of what he owed Jumin. Of course, Jumin had said he was just doing it for an RFA member, because that was his duty as a fellow member of the RFA, but Saeyoung hated to rely on anyone like that. His father was still out there somewhere, and any moment he could find the hospital records and connect his illegitimate twins with Jumin.

That was a risk Saeyoung wasn't willing to take either. Paying the hospital back directly himself would make the hospital return Jumin's money, and then Saeyoung could expunge their record of Jumin ever having paid for a set of twins' medical bills. This way, Jumin was out of danger. He was about to put his headphones back on again when Ari interrupted him. "You're just going to ignore me?" Now her tone was angry, and he couldn't blame her, but he really couldn't mix her up in this. Saeyoung couldn't mix any of them up in this.

Ari couldn't seem to decide whether she wanted to shout at him or just glare, but since he'd turned his back to her already, the glare wasn't about to work. "You know I'm here for you! The whole RFA is here for you. Whatever it is, let's handle it." She stepped closer, putting her hand on his shoulder as though she was about to turn him in his chair herself before he turned his head to lock eyes with her. His yellow eyes were nearly flashing as he responded. "I will handle it, Ari. No one else."

She wasn't sure what else to do, grabbing onto the only leverage she really had, "But Saeran-" Saeyoung interrupted her before she could get any further, slamming his headphones on. "I hack. He doesn't. Not anymore." The redhead knew he was being a jerk, and he felt so cold as she pulled her hand away from him as though he'd burned her. In a way, he had, but this was what he had to do to keep her safe. It wasn't fair to her; he was never fair to her. He would apologize as soon as he was able, but for now, she'd be out of danger.

Saeyoung was pushing her out again. Ari didn't think he would have done that again...even that he could. She'd expected some sort of tension, a little bit of pushback, but not this. Anger and hurt flooded her system at the same time, making her clench her fists at her side as silent tears welled up in her eyes before dripping down her cheeks. Didn't he trust her? Did Saeyoung not trust the RFA anymore?

Was she just blowing things out of proportion? She needed to clear her head; that's what she needed. Ari wasn't a crybaby, and she was anything but weak. With a little bit of space, she could come back to this with a level head and figure out what to do, but she certainly wasn't going to stay here and watch him hurt himself. Ari picked up her phone as she wiped her tears away with a single finger on each side, a very precise motion while she flicked through her contacts.

Any of the RFA members would gladly take her in, she knew that, but they would ask too many questions. There was really only one other person she knew wouldn't turn her away, and although he had a habit for lecturing, he was the best choice. Ari went to their room, packing a few of her things away into a day bag before she got on the bus. She wasn't about to announce that she was coming to Vanderwood. If he knew she was coming, he would try to talk her out of it before she even got in the door or ask her, 'What's in it for me?' It was much better if she just showed up and let him know she'd be spending the day there until she could figure things out. The man couldn't turn away anyone he knew who needed a helping hand, no matter how hard he tried.

***

The redhead raised his head slowly, pressing his eyes together tightly each time he tried to open them. It was bright in his computer room. At least, the lights coming from the monitor were bright. Saeyoung wiped at the drool that had collected on the corner of his mouth before taking a nearby tissue to do the same with his keyboard, tossing the used tissue to the side with no regard for where it landed. Oddly, he felt cold, and it wasn't normal for his monitors to be on when he woke up from passing out. Ari usually covered him in a blanket and turned the monitors to sleep mode.

Saeyoung's heart thudded in his chest. Where was Ari? He stepped away from the computer chair, stumbling a little as he realized one of his legs had fallen asleep. It certainly wasn't a dream if his leg was asleep. That just made it worse. Saeyoung opened their bedroom door tentatively calling out into the darkness. "Ari, are you sleeping?" There was no response, so he turned on the light, praying to God that she would be there in the bed, her dark her spilling out behind her on the pillows, but no such luck.

Had she gotten hurt somehow? That didn't make any sense, especially as he realized one of her drawers was slightly open. With a heavy heart, heavier the closer he got to her dresser, Saeyoung went to the drawer, pulling it open slowly. Some of her things were missing. He'd hurt her that badly...She'd left him...Where was she? Saeyoung whipped around, running back to his computers and typing furiously. The screen that pulled up told him that the job had been completed, but he didn't care about that right now. His fiancée' was out there running away from him, and he had to know where she was.

He had installed a GPS chip in her phone, just in case something were to ever happen to her, so it didn't take long to find her. There was another familiar phone in the same area as her. Vanderwood...Saeyoung pushed back from his computer as he processed things. She probably hadn't wanted to tell the rest of the RFA that she was leaving him. That made the most sense to him, because they always had a way of nosing their way into things.

Ari...he'd really hurt her. He'd been intending to apologize to her, of course he had, but now...Saeyoung felt he didn't even had the right to do that. He didn't have any right to her at all. Slowly, he pulled out his phone, chewing hard enough on the inside of his cheek to taste blood before he started to type to her. `Ari. You should come get your things. I can be out of the bunker.` Maybe he should stay in the bunker though when she came, watching from the shadows. He deserved to hurt when he'd hurt the woman he loved.

***

Vanderwood didn't know what he'd gotten himself into. When he'd been assigned as Zero Seven’s... _Saeyoung's_ …handler back in the day, he hadn't expected anything like this future. Brown eyes looked over to the woman on the couch as he stirred his stew. Saeyoung sure had done well for himself. She was damn beautiful, but he really shouldn't be thinking that about another guy's woman, especially not Saeyoung's. It was like ogling his sister-in-law, really.

How long was she going to stay here anyway? She hadn't told him much about what had happened, but from what he’d gathered, she and Saeyoung had a big fight. Ari had left to clear her head, and Saeyoung so far was none the wiser. Would she go back before he noticed? If the kid realized she was gone before she had the chance to explain things, knowing him, he'd plan for the worst-case scenario. Vanderwood had already told Ari that, and she'd agreed to send him a text, although whether she'd actually done that, he didn't know.  "So, uh...Did you text him, or what?"

Ari looked up at the sound of the male's voice, shaking her head in response as the man heaved a heavy sigh. She'd been zoned out, deep in thought about what was going on. The more she thought about it, the more she was convinced that Saeyoung was just trying to protect her when he'd pushed her away. After all, that was the real reason he'd done it the first time around. Having a clear head was really helping her think, even if that was all that she could do now that she was at Vanderwood's instead of at home.

What really needed to happen was a conversation between the two of them, one where she could be allowed to get her point across. But, to make that happen, she was going to have to go back home. Just when she was about to ask Vanderwood if he wouldn't mind giving her a ride, since she'd used a bus to get here, she heard her phone going off. That was her text tone for Saeyoung. He'd noticed. It wasn't like Ari had intended to keep it from him, she'd just kept forgetting, honestly.

She was nervous to check her phone, not sure how Saeyoung would respond to her being gone, but once she actually read the message, it felt as though there was a pile of rocks in her stomach. Was he breaking up with her? Her heart was now slamming hard in her chest, and it was getting a little bit hard to breathe. Was she just mistaking what he was saying? Maybe. Maybe not.

Vanderwood had been watching her this entire time, and now it was quite obvious to him that she was in a state of distress, her hand covering her mouth as she fought back tears. What the fuck was he supposed to do in this situation? It was probably the redhead that had texted her, that or someone was dead. He managed to suppress a snort at the irony that situation would have held. Bloody Hell, he was an ass. Anyway, he was going to need to do something before this woman burst out crying on his couch. There was really only one thing to do. "Grab your things. Come on."

Ari flicked her almost watering blue eyes up in the brunet's direction as he commanded her, and now he was indicating the door with a tilt of his head. Where were they going? Couldn't he see she was upset? Or maybe he was in on this breakup idea now...Saeyoung had probably messaged him, too. She was too far gone to realize that Vanderwood hadn't gotten any sort of message.

Well, she made a sharp intake of breath, wiping away what little tears she had with a slow and deliberate motion. She wasn't going to be weak about this. If this...was what Saeyoung had really wanted all along, then that's what she was going to give him. Ari would do this with grace and dignity, because her stubborn nature wouldn't let her do otherwise.

***

It seemed like a Hell of a long drive to Vanderwood. He was silent at first, eyes flicking between the road, Ari, and the time. Minutes ticked by so slowly in the tense atmosphere of the car. "You know he loves you, don't you?" Bloody Hell, he really didn't want to be involved, but what the Hell else was he supposed to do? The brunet didn't like the way Ari was looking at him now, her head still leaned against the window of his vehicle as her blue eyes flicked over in his direction, almost an angry defiance in them.

He made a sigh of his own, affixing his eyes to the road as he drove, following every road regulation to the letter, because that made him feel a little less anxious. "You've got his ring on your finger, don't you? It's not like he's just going to throw that away. That kid...You got closer to him than even I could, learned about things even I couldn't in a Hell of a lot shorter time than I've known him. So, whatever it is, you should talk about it, figure it out together. That's something you two have that I could only wish for. Don't waste that."

Ari raised her head away from the window. So, clearly, he hadn't gotten a message from Saeyoung, but if he hadn't gotten the message, then why were they headed in the direction of the bunker? Was Vanderwood meddling? Apparently, he was...He _did_ care when the people around him were hurting, a poorly hidden secret. Ari wanted to tell him to butt out, her stubborn nature a force to be reckoned with, but he was sharing a little more about himself than Vanderwood probably realized. It wasn't just that he cared about Saeyoung and her relationship with him. There was another side of him that envied what they had.

She pursed her lips for a moment before she leaned her head back against the window. Her goal of collecting her thoughts had worked, failed, and maybe worked again. Ari _did_ have a ring on her finger, one she'd been avoiding looking at as they got closer and closer to the bunker, but now she held out her hand, watching it sparkle. Saeyoung wouldn't just drop her like a hot potato. Maybe the theory she'd come up with earlier had been right after all. It was so hard to think when upset, but she was just going to have to listen to Vanderwood's advice, because just letting this happen and walking away wasn't going to work.

***

Vanderwood had already driven away, apparently forcefully abandoning her to talk to Saeyoung whether she'd decided to take his advice or not. Sometimes he really was a bit of an ass. Ari just shook her head, taking a few steady breaths to calm herself. She opened Noogle on her phone, finding the right Arabic words to get through the passwords for the door into the bunker and walking out into the living room. He'd said he would be out of the bunker, but maybe he was still here? If he wasn't, she was just going to have to wait for him to come home. "Saeyoung? Are you in here?" Her voice echoed in the large living room, and that was a little disconcerting.

Saeyoung had been watching her GPS as it got closer from his computer room, the one room she wouldn't need to enter, holed up in there to keep himself from getting in her way and hurting her any more than he already had. He wasn't expecting her to call out to him, though, and the way her voice echoed through the living room was exactly how it was echoing in his heart. It thudded hard before he was up out of his chair so fast that it was spinning. Hadn't he hurt her enough already? But she sounded like she needed him...

Ari looked towards the computer room as Saeyoung walked out, fiddling with her ring as he did so. She couldn't quite make out the expression on his face. It was somewhere between concerned and apathetic. Was he trying to mark his emotions? "Saeyoung...I..." They needed to talk, and she'd used a lot of time apart trying to think of exactly the right words to say, but it was a lot harder to do in person than it was in your head. Ari changed her stance, rolling her shoulders back as she flicked some of her hair behind her shoulder. She was going to do this. "I know you're pushing me away, and I know you probably think you're protecting me..."

His eyes seemed to be getting wider as any attempt to hide his expression failed. He hadn't been expecting her to have an actual conversation with him, had half expected her to just tell him how much he sucked and leave, but she didn't seem angry at all. Ari felt like it was getting easier to talk the more she did it, and she just let him have it, continuing on with her well-rehearsed speech. "You're not protecting me by keeping me in the dark, and I don't care how dangerous it is. I said yes when you asked me to marry you. Of course, I knew what that meant, but I said yes. It's my choice to be in this relationship, to face these things with you. Unless you don't want me anymore, that's what I'm going to do."

She could almost visibly see the gears turning in Saeyoung's head, even though she knew they really turned far quicker than even the normal person's. Saeyoung's mouth was wide open. Ari wasn't leaving him. Whatever she had been doing when she was out, she wasn't leaving him, and she wanted to stay with him. Of course, she did...Maybe he was just a bigger idiot than he'd thought before, because of course she did. Before he could even bother to think of another reaction, Saeyoung launched himself at her, wrapping her up tightly in his arms and swinging her around in a circle.

Ari gave a little yelp at the sudden action, but it wasn't long before she had her arms wrapped around him, too, nuzzling her face into him. When Saeyoung finally set her down, she wanted to talk again, but his mouth interrupted her, this time without speaking. His kiss was deep, unstoppable really, as he pressed his hands against the small of her back to keep her locked to him. Ari wouldn't have pulled away, anyway. She wanted to be in his arms, wanted this moment. It was like being put back together again. Why had they both been making such a stink over everything when it was as simple as a five-minute conversation?

Saeyoung broke the kiss, a big goofy smile on his face before his gaze turned a bit maniacal. He gave her lower lip a harsh bite, and it hurt just a little, but only enough to make her push against his chest. "Really, Saeyoung? We just made up and you bite me?" He hadn’t exactly properly responded yet either. Ari frowned, although a small part of her wanted to laugh, too. Saeyoung started chuckling, but then she followed suit, grabbing the front of his shirt and yanking him into a kiss before she bit his lip as well. "How's that?"

The blush that spread on his face was beautiful, and Ari couldn't help but to feel a little proud of herself for succeeding at flustering him with his own little wicked game. She let go of his shirt slowly before she kissed his chin and down along his jaw, intending to be sweet now, but then his hands lowered from the small of her back to her bottom, cupping her there before he gave a light squeeze and nuzzled into her hair. "Got a little time to make up in the bedroom?" Saeyoung's voice had a little purr to it, even though she knew he was probably bright red.

There wasn’t actually an ulterior motive, just him reacting to stress like he always did through a teasing attitude. He was honestly just repeating what he'd read before in his 'how to be a player' books and other questionable pieces of literature, but she was nodding, and Saeyoung wasn't about to take what he'd said back. The redhead moved to take her hand, pulling her along with him into the bedroom where he discarded of his hoodie and glasses on the dresser.

His shirt came off next, and Ari was already pulling off her own, unclasping her bra and letting that fall into the pile of clothes they were creating on the floor. They were far from uncomfortable with one another like that, long used to the intimacy that was making love to one another. Ari was about to remove her pants before Saeyoung's hands stopped her, unbuttoning them himself as he caught her lips with his again. There was something beautiful about a moment like this, as fast-paced and hungry for each other as it seemed to be. It was a relief from the stress and a reminder of how much they meant to one another.

Ari gasped as he pressed his hand down her panties, teasing at her heat as he took advantage of the opening her gasp had given him to push his tongue into her mouth. His other hand was in her hair as he moved her back towards the bed, pulling his hand away from her only so that she could lie back on it. Saeyoung pulled off his belt and pants, letting his boxers stay on before he pulled away her panties, a smirk on his face as he saw just how ready for him she was. "You're so wet for me already...Of course, because you're mine, aren't you Ari?"

She just nodded, her mouth dry in a much more pleasant way than it had been in the hours previous before she arched her back as he bit into her thigh. He left a dark mark of possession which he nipped upwards from over her hip bone and stomach. Eventually, he made his way to her breasts, and Ari was able to open her eyes to look towards him again, his near-glowing gaze locking with hers. There was something else in those eyes, too, something which she couldn't quite pinpoint, but she didn't get the chance to think about it much as Saeyoung's hands cupped and massaged her breasts.

The moan she let out had him feeling like he was going to burst through his boxers. Saeyoung just couldn't believe how lucky he was, not just that he had her like this, but that she wanted anything to do with him after the way he'd hurt her. Ari deserved to be pleasured and pleased, and he wanted to remind himself that she was his, too. No matter how hard he was, he wasn't going to let this moment pass so quickly. Her eyes had darkened like sparkling pools of water that he was fortunate enough to get to appreciate, a true wonder of the world as she looked at him through her thick and dark lashes.

It was just unfortunate that he had to break eye contact to continue to place hickeys over her upper body, making her squirm beneath him as he made it very clear just how much he wanted her. Ari nearly couldn't take it. She had gotten turned on so quickly only to be tortured by her fiancée’s hands and mouth as he made slow work of covering her in hickeys. At least he wanted to...at least he wanted her still, so Ari wasn't going to stop him, even if she was so needy for him that she felt as though she couldn't wait. Her stubborn side would let her get to fully enjoy his ministrations, whether her body liked it or not.

For her, it seemed like hours before he was done. Her body was so hot that she thought it would combust when Saeyoung finally moved to grind against her heat, his own moan joining hers as he slid his hand along her cheek. "I need you now, Ari. I need you forever." She felt like she'd lost her voice as he managed to get his boxers off one-handed, shifting to thrust into her slowly and making them both throw their heads back in pleasure at the sensation.

The slow movement wasn't like his usual rough pace, but Saeyoung wasn't quite done yet, the words burning in his mind to be spoken as he stroked her cheek with his thumb. "You're my galaxy, the stars to my sky...the woman I love, and I need you." A little tear managed to wet his lashes, but he ignored it as Ari looked up at him, flushed and beautiful. His voice was soft, little moans breaking up his words as he spoke. "Please don't ever leave me...Thank you for not leaving me...Even when I push you away, I need you, and I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."

Ari's heart almost couldn't take it, not just the pleasure making her gasp each time he moved, but the words that were coming out of his mouth making her feel like her heart was going to burst. She reached up to tangle her fingers in his hair as he apologized, pulling him into a deep kiss. So, that was the expression she'd seen in his eyes earlier, gratefulness, and Ari was grateful, too. That feeling was what she poured into their kiss as the pleasure between them built, Saeyoung picking up more of his usual rough pace, taking her harder as their tongues now tangled together, their moans trapped between them.

Bliss. This was pure bliss. Ari nearly felt as though her mind and body were splitting into separate pieces before the pleasure of climax crashed the pieces of her together again. The intensity of the sensation made her break away from their kiss to cry out and grip onto him harder as Saeyoung reached his own climax, groaning her name and slowing his movements until they were both motionless, breathlessly looking deep into each other's eyes.

Saeyoung was the first to move, shifting to lie down next to her and hold her tight against him as he pressed kisses into her long, dark hair. "I love you, Ari." He tightened his grip on her as she responded in kind. Never again...he needed to learn to never again shut her out like that, remind himself that she was there with him and had chosen this life. "I guess...we have some things we need to talk about."

Ari just nuzzled into his chest, feeling as though everything in the world had righted itself again after having been turned on its head. "Mm...we do...but let's talk about it in a little while. I just want to be held a little longer." This whole time she’d wanted to talk, but now it felt like it could wait. Maybe she was just weird. The redhead chuckled softly, grinning widely as he nuzzled her hair some more. Guess cuddles were his debt to pay after everything that had happened, but he was more than willing to pay that debt.

Like this? Want more? Check out my website. [~Let’s Connect! FFC](https://fanfictionconnection.wordpress.com/)


	2. ArixSaeran - A Quiet Night

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Saeran has worries about his brother and the reality of what happened in their past. When she tries to help, Ari causes a fight with her love. Realizing he needs some time to cool off, she goes for a walk, but returns to find he is in a different kind of frenzy.

***@kittysymphony on tumblr asked me for the same plot type, some angst and makeup with smut but this time with Saeran. I am happy to have complied! ~Let's Connect! FFC***

Their fingers twisted together and untwisted, a little game of sorts as they laid in bed. Ari was snuggled into Saeran's side, her head on his shoulder as her long black hair spilled out behind her. His white button-down shirt was just slightly undone, meaning that she could press the occasional kiss to his bare skin, and she took full advantage of that. She had already dressed herself for bed while he remained in his regular day clothes, but it was a comfortable and quiet night so far.

He thought for sure that she was a miracle, his mint-colored eyes meeting her deep blue before he looked away at the window not far from them. There was moonlight spilling into the little cabin room. They were staying here for a short time, along the beach that he had so desperately wanted to take her to. Outside was a dangerous place right now, though, his father likely still looking for him, and Saeyoung lost to the world.

Saeran made a small, "Tsk" sound, causing Ari to push up a little in bed and examine his face. Her boyfriend seemed to be lost in thought, but that tended to happen often. He was a genius, and highly task-oriented. If he was caught up in something, it was difficult to get his attention at best. Still, he seemed to be getting upset, his fingers tightening on hers now, stopping their motion. Ari furrowed her brows for a moment before she sat up fully in the bed, her nightgown shining with the moonlight as she did so. "Saeran, what is it?"

The white-haired youth didn't respond at first, flicking his eyes towards her and getting a soft blush on his face. There was no way he deserved someone as beautiful as her, her soft features like those of an angel. With the light reflecting off of her white nightgown, she looked even more like the angel she was. Angels. Luciel was what he'd changed his name to. Saeran made another little, "Tsk" sound, and now Ari seemed to get grumpy, flicking some of her black hair behind her shoulder as she sat back, watching him.

"You should tell me what's wrong. I can't help you if you don't talk to me." Ari liked to think she was patient, but she really just needed Saeran to open up. It was hard for him to strike a balance between talking sometimes and exploding, but she almost preferred the exploding sometimes. At least then she knew what was going on in his head. Of course, it resembled a certain 'Unknown' personality he'd once relied on. The memory made her shiver, but he was a completely different person now, all of his 'personalities' combined into one whole and far more emotionally well-rounded being.

Ari clearly wasn't backing down, gently reaching for his hand again, which Saeran pushed away. His thoughts weren't positive. Somewhere deep down, he knew that he was letting his past get the better of him, his paranoia too strong to resist fully as his mind tumbled. She apparently wasn't having that, though, grabbing his hand now and squeezing it.

With a dejected sigh, Saeran pushed himself up in bed as well, so that their eyes could meet and lock. "I...What if Saeyoung really does hate me? He really did abandon me. The good intentions everyone seems to think he had, maybe they were false. Maybe the only thing that made me see the truth was the elixir. It took my mind to the point of breaking, but that doesn't mean that him abandoning me didn't happen, just because I only believed it because of the drugs."

Her eyes widened as Saeran put his other hand to his head, clearly getting a bit of a headache as he was thinking about these things. Were these doubts always plaguing his mind? It hadn't been that long since he had stopped taking the elixir, and of course, it was going to take some time for him to be without emotional trauma from everything that had happened. He would probably endure at least _some_ trauma for the rest of his life, but he couldn't go around believing something like this.

"Saeran..." Ari brought his hand to her lips, giving it a gentle kiss and watching as his face turned redder, his gaze once more leaving hers as he looked out the window at the sky. The sky gave him so much comfort that she wasn't about to ask him to look back to her. "You know why he had to do what he did...That it was all to protect you." She wasn't entirely sure of the words she was supposed to be saying, but at least if she was gentle and understanding, it would hopefully sink in.

Except, perhaps she was wrong. Saeran just pushed his other hand more against his head, feeling like it was going to split in two as he bunched his fingers in the white locks. "Maybe that was just a side effect. Him changing his identity was for himself, and the side effect was that V and Rika could take me from my mother's place." Ari felt sadness clenching her heart like a fist, her breath catching a little. He was really caught up in these thoughts, wasn't he? "Saeran, you can't think like that-"

She didn't get a chance to finish what she was saying as Saeran pulled his hand from hers. His head was pounding, little hammers smacking his cranium until it felt like it would burst apart, making him irritable. "I can, and I do!" He hadn't meant to shout, hadn't meant to get frustrated, but anger was starting to flood him. "What if I'm not wrong? What if I'm the only one who's right, Ari?" His eyes were starting to get a little wild. Saeran pressed a hand to either side of his head.

Ari almost couldn't stand it. He was slipping, his grip on reality slipping because of his doubts and fears. "It's okay, Saeran. Everything will be okay." She reached for him all over again only to have him pull away. "You don't understand! Just go!" The quip hurt, stung, her heart feeling as though he'd pierced through it with a shard of glass. Tears stung her eyes as she looked at him curled up there and holding his head. he looked like a child like this, a small and hurt child. A part of her wanted to curl up there with him, but she would be immediately rejected.

It was impossible for her to just sit there without doing _anything_ , but no matter what she did, he would be unhappy with her, devolving into his own little world. As much as it hurt, it would be better to give him some space, let him relax and come back to himself on his own. Ari gave a soft sniff before she straightened her shoulders, using a single finger to wipe away what little wetness had escaped her teary eyes in a slow and precise motion. Saeran needed time to himself, and she was going to give it to him. Quietly, she got out of bed, her boyfriend either not noticing or not caring as she grabbed a jacket and stepped outside into the breeze.

Her heart was much colder than the air outside, and Ari hung her head for a while as she walked before looking up at the sky. The moon was large and full, spilling light down on her. Sometimes night would make her remember their walks together. Other times, it made her think of Rika. She shook her head to banish the image of the blonde woman that had so long tortured the man that Ari loved. There were so many scars on his body because of that woman and the woman who’d had him under her thumb before Rika.

As much as it hurt right now, she would rather think of the times when he would take her into the gardens as Ray. Sometimes she thought maybe Ray was the best side of Saeran, but with every sweet action he gave her, she was proved wrong. There was a new intensity to his actions now that he was fully himself. A soft breeze ruffled her hair, and Ari sighed. He would be fine...Saeran was stronger than he thought he was, and he could fend off this new struggle, even if she couldn't help him through it by being right by his side. She would give him support from a distance, so that he could know he was strong on his own.

How long had she been walking now? A little while, surely. Ari realized she had ended up on the beach, swiftly turning on her heel and heading back. She didn't want to walk on the beach without his hand in hers, and despite the fight they'd just had, she was sure that they would walk along the beach hand in hand again by tomorrow.

Saeran could hear the little voices in his head, doubts and fears being repeated in cacophony. Breathing was a struggle, and he pressed harder against his head. It hadn't gotten this bad before. The last time, all he had needed to do was take a moment to pause and breathe, but this was taking a little longer. He had hurt Ari, too. The realization slipped into his mind, chilling his veins and making his breath hitch painfully.

Slowly, he pulled his hands away from his head. She had just been trying to help. Ari was always so supportive of him, there for him. All of the things he had done to her at Mint Eye, and she was with him still. His princess, his angel. His mint-colored eyes looked towards the window again, the moon outside. They had walked together in the gardens so often under that same moon.

He got out of bed, looking around the cabin, the voices seeming to have quieted in his mind, although some of the doubts remained. It wouldn't be long before he could settle them, would it? If only he could find Saeyoung, then all of his questions could be answered. "Ari?" The rooms were empty and cold without her, and his heart-rate slowly started to escalate as each place he searched didn't contain his love. Where was she? Had someone come into the cabin and taken her?

Now his heart was slamming painfully in his chest. The last room. He slowly turned the door knob, and she wasn't there. Saeran paused, staring into the empty room, and then he heard it. A door knob was turning. Was it his father? Were they there for him, too? That didn't make any sense, logically he knew it didn't make any sense, but he ran for the door, whipping it open. There she was. "Ari..."

She was utterly confused. Ari had been expecting him to be sitting on the bed moping or lost in thought again, probably feeling guilty over what he had done. What she hadn't expected was him to now drop to his knees and hug her to him. "I was afraid...I thought perhaps my father had taken you." The realization dawned on her that she hadn't even left a note, no message of where she was going. Ari felt guilt swamp her a little and now dropped down as well in the doorway to hold him. "It's alright, Saeran. I'm right here. No one took me. I just wanted to take a walk to give you some time to think."

Ari pulled away with a gentle smile, reaching to cup his face as Saeran looked into her eyes. He felt even worse about what he had done now that she was in his presence. All she had done was go for a walk, all to help him again. "I'm so sorry, Ari." Saeran took her hand from his face, placing it lightly on his chest over his heart only before placing his hand on her cheek. "The thoughts just wouldn't stop...I shouldn't have shouted at you." His eyes dropped for a moment to the floor before he was looking back at her again, leaning in to press a gentle kiss to her lips which she returned.

It lasted for only a few seconds, but to Ari it felt as though time had stopped completely before Saeran pulled back again. Of course, he hadn't meant it when he shouted at her. She had known that, but actually hearing him say so made her feel that much better. "I'm sorry, too, Saeran. I shouldn't have pushed you so much to share with me. I should have waited."

That soft little smile of hers was his favorite thing about her, the way it warmed his heart impossible to understand. Saeran stroked her face gently, feeling as though his eyes had become somewhat wet, but her own were sparkling with wetness, too. "I'll...try to do better for you, my angel." He ran his thumb over her lower lip before he realized what he was doing, a blush building up in his cheeks. She was so beautiful, her smile so sweet; it was just hard to resist her.

"We should get out of the doorway." Now his face was completely red as he stood, holding out his hand to help her up before he closed the door. Ari felt as though her legs were trembling. The way he had been looking at her was as though he was appreciating her very soul simply for existing. Her lip was tingling from the light touch of his thumb after he had kissed her so lovingly just a moment before. Saeran lightly tugged on her hand to take her towards the bed, his fingers lacing with hers naturally before they reached it, and he let go.

There was something about his down-turned expression, the extreme redness to his face. Ari felt like she knew that expression, and as she sat herself down on the bed, her thoughts were confirmed. Saeran moved, his hands lightly on her shoulders as he kissed her deeply, far more forcefully than he had before. It was nothing like the forcefulness of when he had been Unknown, nothing like the gentleness of Ray, but everything like the mixed love and roughness of Saeran.

His hands pushed her jacket away from her shoulders, running up her arms to then play with the soft fabric of her nightgown’s cap sleeves on her shoulders. Those little touches sent soft flames licking at her skin, tingles of electricity wherever his fingertips trailed. Saeran broke the kiss after what felt like an eternity, his eyes a glimmering green as the color almost seemed enhanced by his desire for her. “May I show you, princess…how sorry I am for hurting you?”

Her heart skipped and then thudded in her chest, unsure of whether to stop completely or to race. It was a rarity for her to be speechless, but when he talked like that, it was impossible to respond with actual words. Ari ended up nodding, looking up at him through her dark lashes, blue eyes darkened with her own desire for what was to come.

Thin fingers brushed her hair away from her shoulders before he ran his fingertips down the side of her neck and over her shoulders, dipping lower to trace along her collarbone and then the swell of her breasts. These actions were thoroughly flustering for him still, but he couldn't help wanting her, wanting to appreciate the angel who had saved him, _truly_ saved him. His mouth followed after where his fingers had touched, Ari leaning her head back and to the side, shivering under his ministrations as his hands went to the laces of her nightgown, untying it slowly.

With a light pull, the fabric fell from her upper body, bunching in her lap. Ari dug her fingers into the sheets below her as Saeran's exploration continued downwards. His lips were leaving what felt like hot brands as his hands found her breasts, squeezing them and teasing at her nipples lightly with his thumbs. Even though they had done this a few times before, his touches were still tentative and unsure from time to time, but everything still spread what felt like a wildfire through her bloodstream. There was already heat gathering between her legs, and she pressed them together, not going unnoticed by Saeran.

He pushed her back onto the bed gently, helping to pull her gown the rest of the way off before he crawled over her, his mouth finding one of her nipples and giving a gentle suck that had her wrapping her arms around him. She bunched her fingers in the fabric of his shirt as she arched her head back. His tongue followed, swirling over her nipple and making her cling to him even more tightly before he used his knee to lightly nudge her legs apart.

Saeran sat up on his knees now, moving to undo his pants before Ari sat up a little as well, making eye contact with him, each of them blushing fiercely. "Your shirt..." She lightly gripped the fabric. "I'd like you to take your shirt off as well..." The white-haired male froze for a moment, a little lick of fear catching him before he shook out his head, and his fingers found the buttons of his shirt. "Anything for you, my angel." As his shirt came off, Ari got a full view of the many scars all over his body, marks marring his perfectly pale skin, marks that never should have been there in the first place. He was still incredibly thin, but even then, he was beautiful.

It was her turn to touch now, Saeran tensing just slightly out of habit. Before her, he hadn’t been used to only gentle contact. Even Rika had been rough with him, but he chose not to think of that now, a little hammer in his mind being silenced as he focused on watching Ari. Her half-lidded eyes were dark, and she seemed even more beautiful as she touched him. Ari’s fingers traced over each and every scar before she kissed her fingertips and pressed them to one just under the region of his heart.

His perfect angel. Saeran's pants felt impossibly tight, and he was quite certain she had noticed as her fingers once more trailed downwards over his abdomen, brushing over the front of the fabric and making him tense in a different way. The white-haired male closed his hand over hers, pulling it away gently as his patience ran out. He removed his pants and boxers, tossing them aside before his lips were on hers once more, pressing her back into the bed as he ground against her thigh. A small groan escaped him at the action. The way Ari whimpered into his mouth and lifted her hips towards him encouragingly made it even more impossible for him to wait any longer.

He lifted one of her legs by her thigh before thrusting into her, biting back a moan even as she released her own. Her head was once more arched back, and he started up an erratic pace, body eager for the pleasure and the release before he could even it out into something far more rhythmic. Ari's arms wound around his shoulders, and he drove into her deeply, repeating her name like a prayer interchanged with the words, "My angel."

Every sound he made caused Ari's heart to leap, and she couldn't keep her eyes open at all. Her head felt as though it would be permanently arched in pleasure as he filled her with his hardness over and over again. There was something wild to him when they made love, and yet that passion was gentle and sweet, the way he said her name as though he was praising her mere existence. "Saeran..." She couldn't keep from moaning his name either, the sound dragging out as the pleasure between them built higher.

It was as though there was a wall between them, the pleasure building on either side, working to break down the wall to get to each other. That pleasure was intense and powerful, pushing against the wall before it suddenly reached the top, overflowing and making Ari cry out as her climax washed over her. His own climax seemed to occur almost simultaneously as he cried out through grit teeth, the motion of his hips once more erratic before he slowed.

As they stayed there, the moon illuminating their bodies through the small window, Ari was finally able to open her eyes again, meeting his mint-colored gaze with her bright blues. "I love you, Saeran." A smile of his own touched his lips as her soft smile graced her face. Saeran pressed a gentle kiss to her lips again like he had in the doorway, his face bright red. It would never cease to fluster him to have her like this, never cease to amaze him to have her at all. "I love you too, Ari."

It wasn't long before they were cuddled up, fingers once more tangling and untangling. Saeran had a hand under his head as he looked up at the ceiling, eyes flicking towards the window from time to time. Was he thinking again? Ari almost didn't bring it up, afraid of disturbing the peace that they had had. "Is it on your mind again?"

He knew exactly what she was talking about, shifting to get a good look at her. Those thoughts were back, plaguing him, but much less strongly than they had been. "Yes, it is." Saeran wasn't sure what else to say at first, his eyes falling for what felt like the millionth time that night on the window and the moonlight spilling through it.

Ari nuzzled more into his shoulder, pressing a gentle kiss to his bare skin. "It's okay...I'm here for you...and you'll find out the truth soon. I'm sure of it." Saeran felt like sighing, his mind wanting to reject what she was saying, but he tried to force that to the back. "I hope so...and I have you by my side, so I'm not alone." He seemed to be feeling so much more at peace, and Ari couldn't help but smile against his shoulder, pressing a few more soft kisses to his pale skin. This was peace, a quiet night with the one she loved.

Check out my website. [~Let’s Connect! FFC](https://fanfictionconnection.wordpress.com/)


	3. Twice as Worn

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As the twins fight over who should have their girlfriend on their birthday, Ari must find a way to please both of these vastly different men. Will she have the energy to survive her rather ambitious solution?

***This time we've created a poly relationship **which is not sandwich**. Just to make that clear; it's two separate relationships which only inter-lap because they are dating the same girl, OC Ari. I do not write sandwich or twincest. Once more, I was asked for something with a little bit of angst and a smut scenario for each couple. Here's what I came up with. ~Let’s Connect! FFC***

Ari nuzzled into Saeyoung's side as the redhead rested his arm on the couch, inviting her to do exactly that. He bent to give the top of her head a little nuzzle before grabbing some of her hair with his lips, making her half giggle and then shoo his face away. Saeyoung just pouted, bright yellow eyes shining nonetheless. "C'mon, Ari, it's nearly my birthday." A soft, "Tsk" alerted them that he was joining them on the couch before Saeran sat, and Ari now had another arm around her shoulders, a mint-eyed glare going towards his brother. "Mine too, doesn't mean you should treat her like a pet, you idiot."

Now Saeyoung just guffawed, and Ari could feel him rubbing his brother's elbow behind her shoulders, an obvious attempt to make the other Choi remove his arm from her shoulders. Saeran got progressively more uncomfortable with this action until he pulled his arm away reluctantly with a scowl on his face. His eyes hooded beautifully whenever he scowled, and Ari couldn't help but feel her heart clenching at the half-sad and half-cranky look Saeran now had as he shifted more into the couch and away from her.

Ari was the one to shift now, cuddling into Saeran's side and looking up at him to see the soft pink blush on his cheeks. He really was the gentler twin, even if he seemed so rough on the outside. "Don't tease your brother, Saeyoung." She looked back to see Saeyoung shrugging with a big goofy grin before his own face changed colors to a dark red as he clearly got an idea. Saeyoung moved, laying his head on her hip and bottom, nuzzling into her and now making _her_ change colors, too. It was quite the bold action, and now all three were blushing messes.

Well, she wasn't just going to let them sit in the awkward feeling of this mess forever. Ari cleared her throat, shifting to push some of her long black hair behind her shoulder. "So, what type of cake would you two like for your birthday?" Simultaneously, their answer came, but unfortunately, it wasn't the same answer. A loud profession of, "Honey!" was uttered by Saeyoung only to be mirrored by, "Vanilla." from Saeran.

The twins whipped their heads towards each other as Saeyoung got up from his position, Ari shifting away from Saeran to look between them. Their eyes were glittering somewhat maliciously. "I can make more than one." Maybe dating each of them was just a little more intense than she'd quite expected, although it was a little comical to see them behaving this way. She almost had to suppress a laugh to keep from making the situation any worse. "I will just make you each your own cake."

Saeyoung was the first to relax, his big goofy smile back in place. He always had a habit for getting intense when it came to food, especially snack food, but he was easily placated. Saeran took a little longer to relax, Ari taking his hand to help him ease again. Then his mint eyes flicked to her own deep blue, making her breath hitch for a moment as he looked her over like she was God's greatest gift on Earth before he spoke. "And what would my princess like to do for my birthday?"

Were they...planning on doing something? "I'd like to take you both out somewhere." Saeyoung's cheery voice dipped in, but Saeran's hand tightened on Ari's. "Some private time would be nice." It wasn't like he usually minded couple's dates, although Saeyoung always behaved like an idiot, but Saeran hadn't had his _own_ birthday in almost the entirety of his life, at least not a good one. "I'd like to have a special day." Maybe that was selfish. Saeran had to admit that it was on some level. He just kept his hold on Ari's hand, looking down into her eyes, at the gentle smile that now appeared on her face. The white-haired youth loved that perfect smile, and if not for Saeyoung speaking up, he probably would have leaned in to kiss her, unable to help himself.

"I'd like a special day, too, then." Saeyoung wasn't speaking with any sort of malice, not in the slightest bit jealous, really, but a little sad perhaps. He hadn't exactly had a grand birthday with the one he loved either. A birthday with his brother and his girlfriend would have been even better, but if his brother was going to get a day with Ari, it only seemed fair that he himself should have one, too. Although, he wasn't going to make a fuss. Seeing his brother happy made him happy, and even if it hurt to be alone on one's own birthday for what would be the twenty-second time, he would do that just so that Saeran could be happy.

Ari's gentle smile faded as she looked towards Saeyoung, knowing what the look on his face meant. "Saeyoung..." Saeran seemed to think he was losing this battle, his hand relinquishing its hold on hers. It all just made her heart clench even further. She was so important to each of them, and they both just wanted to have a happy birthday. It was almost enough to make her cry, but she bit that back, trying to come up with a solution instead as she furrowed her brows in thought, looking up at the ceiling with the brothers unable to look at each other as they awaited her decision. Each of them was in his own world of hurt over this subject. There had to be a way to give them both what they wanted for their birthday.

The idea came to her slowly. "How about I spend midnight to noon with Saeran and noon to midnight with Saeyoung?" She looked away from the ceiling to look between them, a broad smile on her face. It seemed like the perfect solution. Sure, it was probably going to exhaust her to be up for twenty-four hours, and she could have given them each their own full day. Then it wouldn't have _actually_ been on their birthday for one of them. The boys each looked at her in turn, then at each other. Saeran narrowed his eyes for a moment and Saeyoung just smiled as he contemplated, a finger on his cheek, patting lightly. Ari was almost starting to think they would disagree before she heard them, in unison for once. "Sounds good."

***

Ari rubbed her eyes sleepily as her alarm went off, pushing herself up and out of bed. She had figured she might as well catch some sleep before midnight started her entire day of birthday festivities. Slipping out of bed, she put on her slippers, making her way to Saeran's room. It was a terrible idea to go barefoot in the bunker, just because it was all too easy to get your feet sticky from a PhD Pepper spill that had yet to be cleaned up. She put her hand on the knob to open his bedroom door, and immediately the door opened, dragging her bodily right into Saeran's chest.

He moved a little at the impact, not the physically strongest. As Ari looked up at him, Saeran immediately turned his face away from hers, completely red-faced as his bangs hid his eyes before his hand covered them as well underneath the pale white hair with light pink tips. "Were you...waiting for me?" Of course he was. That would be just like him, but he wasn't about to admit it. "I was just coming to get you, since it's my turn now." A smile curled her lips, and Ari wrapped her arms around him tightly, nuzzling into him. "It's okay. I'm excited, too. Happy birthday."

Saeran still couldn't quite bring himself to look at her, dropping his hand as he peeked out of the corner of his mint-colored eyes and through his bangs. Ari was so beautiful, that sweet little smile of hers making his heart pitter-patter more than it had been already. He needed to get a hold of himself. "Do you want to rest a little more? My alarm goes off in about six hours for us to visit an ice cream shop." Okay, so the more he talked, the redder his face seemed to get.

Her pale-haired prince shifted, moving her towards the bed before she could even answer. Ari had the feeling she wasn't going to get much of a choice in the matter. When Saeran got flustered, he could really slip into his own world, and it was often difficult to get his attention away from whatever he had gotten fixated on. Which, since he was fixated on cuddling her as she slept, Ari didn't mind at all. As he held up the blankets, she slipped in with a pleasant sigh.

There his heart was again. She was so beautiful usually, but when she slept, it was like looking at a queen. Ari was his princess, even if he had to share her with Saeyoung. By now he knew better than to ask whom she preferred, him or his brother, as she would always say that she liked them each in different ways. He couldn't quite understand it, but he slipped into bed with her, reaching out to pick up a lock of her hair before letting the dark hairs slip from his fingers. She nuzzled into his chest, making the blush that had faded to a light pink heat up again. Never would he be used to the happiness she gave him, and now he nuzzled into her hair, placing a hand at the small of her back as the other tangled its fingers in her hair.

***

Ari chuckled lightly as she held out her spoon to him, watching as he first leaned back a little. "What are you doing?" They'd been together for a while now, and it still amazed her sometimes how little he had experienced of positive interaction. Ari pushed the spoon a little more towards him. "Feeding you. Try mine." Saeran eyed her, pink heavy in his cheeks before he flicked his eyes away in embarrassment, leaning in to accept her offering of the pink-colored ice cream. It was strawberry, sweet and sugary. The ice cream at this parlor was amazing, but somehow it tasted even better with her offering it to him. "It's...very good. Thank you."

Saeran looked down at his own ice cream, simple vanilla. He had a certain appreciation for the simplicity of vanilla, now getting some on his own spoon. "Here." It felt so awkward, but with the smile and light blush on Ari's face, he couldn't help himself. Anything to please her made him beyond happy. Ari accepted the offering, and he felt the light pull on the spoon as she gave it the lightest suck to get the ice cream off completely. His mouth went dry, watching her deep blue eyes light up and thinking about something he _really_ shouldn't be in a public place. Her voice broke his thought process. "It's so creamy." Okay, maybe it didn't quite break it, only made it worse.

He turned his face away from her again completely, pressing his hand over his eyes. Now he was almost completely pointed towards the door, and Ari furrowed her eyebrows, flicking some of her hair over her shoulder. She hadn't said or done anything she thought was particularly embarrassing, but she was more confused about the shock of red hair she had seen disappear behind a booth as Saeran had turned away. Surely, Saeyoung hadn't followed them? Actually, that seemed exactly like something he would do, but she tried not to think about it too hard. Saeran had likely gotten embarrassed over the ice cream. Her eyes drifted past him again to look across the street at the cat café she'd seen.

Ari stood up, grabbing their to-go cups of ice cream and then moving to kneel in front of Saeran, in hopes that he would see her. "Do you want to go look at the cat café?" He wasn't as obsessed with cats as Saeyoung by any means, but he did like the animals. Now he just made her more confused as he pulled back, looking half horrified. Saeran swallowed hard, looking down at her in her kneeling position before he stood. "Yes, a cat café. That sounds wonderful." He felt like he was talking too formally, but he took Ari, looping his elegantly thin fingers around her wrist as she was holding his cup of ice cream, and walking with her across the street.

The cat café was much busier than the ice cream parlor had been, and that was uncomfortable, causing a light moment of panic before he breathed in deeply. Anything to keep a headache from forming and his mind from being on Ari's mouth. Saeran nearly shook out his head, reaching for the cup of his own ice cream and placing the spoon in his mouth as they now walked among the cats. Finally, it seemed like things were calming down again. Ari worked on her own ice cream, keeping close to her boyfriend before a loud half-screech half-mewl had them both whipping their heads around in concern.

Saeyoung looked up awkwardly from where he was squatting on the floor, holding a cat up by its front paws. "Oh...lolol, you two were here? I had no idea." He let go of the cat as he could see Ari rolling her eyes, his brother's face slowly turning dark. Ari wasn't surprised, but her eyes turned to Saeran, who had started shaking a little. She moved slowly, taking his ice cream from him and placing it with her own into the garbage can before she laced her fingers with the white-haired twin’s. "Why don't we go home to your-"

Ari didn't get the chance to finish as Saeran's head whipped up, his bangs flying away from his face to show off his now rather wildly angry eyes. At least it wasn't like when he'd been Unknown, but it was still on the terrifying side. "She's mine for the next few hours. It's my birthday right now. Wait your turn." His tone was so dark, almost a low hiss before he tightened his hold on Ari's hand and walked off with her, past his now fallen on his ass twin.

***

Saeran was beyond angry, barely speaking until they were on the bus on the way home. "I'm...sorry." His eyes were downcast. Ari now looked up at him, having given him the space she knew he needed from past experiences, but hopeful as he started to speak. He kept his eyes darting around, unable to look at her because of the shame. "I...got upset. All I wanted was a special day with you all to myself. I don't like sharing, least of all when it was supposed to be my time."

She just snuggled into him as the bus started to come nearer to their stop. "It's alright, Saeran. You had a right to be angry. Saeyoung is just nosy; you know that." A soft, "Tsk" escaped him, but Ari just brought his hand to her lips, lightly kissing his fingers. Saeran's eyes flicked her way, watching her perfect mouth as she placed each gentle kiss. There it was again, desire. He wasn't always used to that sensation, that need, but it swiftly overtook him. Lifting a finger as she went to press another kiss, he slipped the fore-knuckle into her mouth.

Ari paused, blue eyes flicking up to meet his mint. His face was half-dark and half-shining with pink blush. She knew almost instinctively what he wanted, moving to slip the tip of his finger into her mouth and giving the pad of it a soft nip before she sucked lightly. This was more than semi-erotic, and she could feel her heart racing. Saeran wasn't often bold, more experimental, but it was like he had forgotten where they were. He shifted uncomfortably in his seat as she sucked again, grazing her teeth lightly over the skin of his finger before he popped it from her mouth as the bus stopped.

"Not here." His voice was a whisper, so soft that she almost didn't catch it before they were disembarking. Quickly, they made their way inside the bunker, Saeran nearly fumbling with answering the door's security questions in his haste. He felt overheated, hungry, needy. Based on the way she was looking up at him like her heart was in her throat, Ari was on board with what he was wanting. His eyes fell on the cars in the garage, counting them and finding that they were all there before the idea bloomed in his mind. Saeyoung had obviously beaten them back and was probably waiting for them inside, but he had other plans.

The smirk on Saeran's face as he grabbed the keys to Saeyoung's favorite bright-red sport's car told Ari that he knew _exactly_ how upset his brother would be when he found out what they were about to do in his ‘baby car.’ Some part of her wanted to protest, but the much naughtier part wasn't going to. She followed along, a little mischievous side of her giving her a thrill. Maybe she _should_ say something, but she was quite certain she'd be the one helping Saeyoung to clean in there later, or perhaps getting a punishment for it from the redhead. Either way, it wasn't like they were hurting anything.

Saeran held the backdoor open for her, and she slipped inside, pressing her back against the other side of the door before he followed suit, closing the door and locking them inside. His moves were quick as he shifted to fasten his mouth to hers, tongue pressing into her mouth to meet hers as his hands moved over her body. He was often overeager, especially when he had been turned-on for some time, which it seemed like he had been. Ari welcomed the somewhat rough kiss, his hands cupping and then squeezing her breasts making her moan into his mouth before he broke it.

She could have sworn she'd seen a glitter of their spit connecting them still for a moment, but she didn't have time to think much on the matter before he was tracing his pointer finger along her lower lip. The look on his face was almost reverent, but hungry at the same time. It was impossible not to know exactly what he was thinking about, but Ari waited with baited breath, able to hear her heartbeat pounding in her ears. "Your mouth is so beautiful, princess." There was that soft voice again, hard to hear over her heartbeat quickening ever further.

"May I...ask you for something?" The bold hunger was very much there, but so was her shy and inexperienced prince. Ari nodded, and he moved to undo his pants, pulling his underwear down as well to reveal his thick arousal. She nearly felt her breath hitch in her throat. By now seeing him like this wasn't new to her, but it was still sexy, still beyond amazing. The fact that he trusted her enough for even holding his hand was enough, let alone for sexual acts. Ari looked up at his face, the blush on his own only getting impossibly dark before he flicked his mint-colored gaze away from hers. "Would you...please?" His manners were impeccable, but Ari wouldn't have said no, even if he'd commanded her.

Ari moved, lowering her front half into his lap and curling her arm around to wrap her fingers around his hard length as she kissed the tip of his hardness. She felt him shiver beneath her touch, a hand digging into her hair as the other moved to stroke over her bottom. As soon as her tongue swirled over the head, Saeran let out a soft moan, his hands tightening in both places. That just spurred her on further, continuing her motion with her tongue for a moment before she took him into her mouth to suck. The way he reacted was heavenly, and she could taste the little bit of precum as he moaned out low.

His breath seemed to be coming in little pants as he started to run his fingers lightly through her hair. Formerly, his hand had been stroking along her bottom but now he slipped it down, getting it under the fabric of her dress and sliding his fingers to cup her heat through her panties. Ari jerked a little as she sucked on him, causing him to make a throaty sound and press against her even further. It was almost a cycle as he started to rub at her through her now soaked panties, only making her movements stronger and more erratic.

She could all but feel him throbbing in her mouth, knowing that he was getting closer and closer before he panted past his moans. "Stop. Stop." Had she done something wrong?  Ari pulled away almost instantly, but then he was just yanking her into his lap, moving her with his hands on her hips to grind against him with a moan of her name. "I want you like this, Ari..." She couldn't help but whimper out a moan of her own at the friction of his erection against her heat, feeling like he was so close yet so far. Ari kissed him deeply, resting her hands on his shoulders as their tongues danced against each other. Now she moved to push her panties to the side, a combination of her own movements and his hands on her hips pushing her down onto him.

They each moaned low and long, the sounds traded between their mouths as their tongues continued their dance. It was hard to remember to breathe, and before long she had broken away from the kiss to arch her head back, unable to keep her eyes open. Saeran arched back his own head, moans filling the car as she rocked her hips along with his. He shoved a hand back into her hair again, unable to resist the long and dark tresses any more than he could resist the heat building hard and fast in his abdomen.

Ari could feel that same heat building through her as well, but before she could warn him about it, his own climax hit him. His hand pushed and pulled more erratically on her hip, and she tried to accommodate him with her movements as he pulled her hair to bring her in for another kiss. When her own orgasm whipped through her, she clung to his shoulders, slightly worried about hurting him, but that didn't seem to be on his mind at all. It was like she could see stars behind her eyelids before they slowed and stopped, breaking their kiss to slowly open their eyes as they were catching their breath.

"I think...I got what I wanted for my birthday." His voice was so sweet and reverent that she couldn't help but smile. Saeran loved that smile, moving to cup her face and lightly trace his thumb along the curve of it. "My beautiful angel." How had he ever deserved a woman like that when he was so moody and quick to grow angry? Saeran didn't know, but he did know that he'd had a wonderful birthday. Soon, it would be Saeyoung's turn with their girlfriend, but for now, she was still his a little longer. "Let's...go inside...Maybe we can watch a movie until your alarm goes off again." His face had filled with flush once more as he realized the full extent of what they had just been doing, that he was still buried inside of her.

***

Saeyoung had been none too pleased upon seeing his girlfriend and his brother coming in from the garage, no less than at least a half hour after his phone had pinged them as arriving home. What had they been doing that he had missed out on? It wasn't like he didn't trust them, but he hated being out of the loop. Plus, it was much more fun to know what was going on, especially when being in the know meant that he could tease Saeran. He was thinking of teasing Saeran over the ice cream eating incident that had cause his brother so much distress before he realized just how messy Ari's long, dark hair was and how blissfully tired she looked.

The redhead knew that look. He knew that look all too well. His yellow eyes widened for a moment, then a smirk built on his face, and he almost called out to give his brother a ‘congratulations on getting some’ before he realized it. Saeyoung's yellow eyes once more widened, and he was up out of the couch, running into the garage. They had been home that entire time, but they hadn't come inside. Where had they? Now he was running right to his computer, pulling up CCTV footage to see the two heading into his favorite baby car. _No...Nooooo!_ What had his brother done to defile his poor innocent baby cars?

What a terrible car father was he that he hadn't known? Saeyoung once more raced out into the garage, falling to his knees before his favorite sport's car and laying his head on the perfectly smooth hood of it. "I'm so sorry, baby. I'm so very sorry. What did he do to you, baby? Can you tell me?" That was exactly how Ari found him just a little later, petting his baby car. A little lick of guilt hit her, knowing that she'd hurt her boyfriend by spending what was a rather passionate time with her other boyfriend in the prior's vehicle. Well, there wasn't much to it but to apologize and comfort the redhead.

She sat behind him, wrapping her arms around Saeyoung as she did so. "I'm quite sure your car will be alright, Saeyoung." Ari moved to give him an apologetic smile, but Saeyoung shifted to give her a bit of a cat-like glare. His yellow eyes did sometimes have the semblance of a cat's, but Ari didn't move. It wasn't long before his angry face became a pitifully sad one, which was then followed by a smile. "My turn now, isn't it?" Saeyoung was never upset for long, although Ari had a sneaking suspicion that he would somehow get back at his brother later. "It is." She nuzzled his nose and got one in return followed with a long kiss, giggling as she spoke again. "Happy birthday, Saeyoung. What would you like to do?"

***

The planetarium was beautiful, and Ari curled into Saeyoung's side as the star show began. She'd never seen anything like it, but she wasn't surprised that her boyfriend was a regular here. It seemed right up his alley. Naturally, he had also brought in a number of snacks, despite that it was strictly prohibited. He was munching happily on HBC as a voice talked through the speakers, the constellations each lighting up in turn.

"There's your star sign." Saeyoung pointed up as hers came on, Ari nearly startling awake as she realized she had been nodding off. She had gotten _some_ sleep last night and even with Saeran in the early hours of the morning, but after the long day she'd already had, she almost felt bad that she was starting to pass out. "It's beautiful." Ari rubbed at her eye, shifting to sit up a little more as Saeyoung rubbed lightly at her shoulder.

It wasn't exactly fair to him that most of her energy had already been expended on his brother, _especially after what they'd done to his baby car_ , but his brother had needed this as much if not more than himself. A happy birthday, _happy_. The redhead shifted to peer behind him, just barely able to make out the figure of the pale-haired male several rows behind them in the darkness. He smirked, but then looked back to Ari, chewing on the inside of his cheek as he noticed she was falling asleep again. Should he just let her rest in the limited time they had?

The smirk came back slowly. Another option, getting her even more exhausted in revenge for joining his brother in the defilement of his baby car. After, she could rest even better, so what was the harm? He was still being an excellent boyfriend while simultaneously getting some revenge. "Ari, Kitten." Saeyoung leaned in, watching as she once more whipped up her head like she hadn't been sleeping. His hand slipped to her chin, the other pushing her hair behind her ear. She nearly pulled away from him before his teeth caught her ear, giving a light nip and then dragging lightly down her earlobe.

Her breath hitched hard. Was she having a wet dream after falling asleep at the planetarium? As his other hand gave her thigh a rough squeeze, it pinched her somewhat, and she knew she wasn't dreaming. The interruption of a soft and angry voice from directly behind them had both looking up, Saeyoung smirking at his brother and Ari looking thoroughly embarrassed. "If you're going to do that, at least have the decency of taking our girlfriend home, brother." He refused to use the term 'princess' here, because she was _his_ princess and his brother's shared girlfriend.

Ari nearly wanted to rub at her face in frustration. No matter what she did, she could never seem to keep the two from arguing. If she gave them separate dates, they just followed each other. When she slept with one in a more risqué place, the other was sure to be frustrated. Was she actually giving either of them a happy birthday at all? Saeyoung's voice broke her thoughts, a soft purr to it as he reached for her hand, nuzzling into her palm and then placing a soft bite to the flesh of it. "As you request, brother. Would you like to go home, Ari?" Her mouth felt dry, and she would have replied, but all she managed to do was nod.

***

She was too tired for this crap. How was she going to even manage this? It seemed like Saeyoung didn't care at all. Every time she started to nod off in the car on the way back, he would squeeze her hand to keep her awake. Was this his revenge? Her deep blue eyes glared at him from the corner of her eyes, and it almost seemed like he was smirking. He _was_ smirking. Ari nearly wanted to tell him to stop the car and let her out, but she realized there was a greater way to get her revenge. She would hold out against him, not giving in to what he wanted.

As soon as they arrived, Saeyoung noticed her changed behavior as his eyes met hers. Oh good, he'd set off her stubborn side. That just meant this was going to be more fun. Saeran was nowhere to be seen as he led his girlfriend through the house, feeling her steps falter as they got closer and closer to..."No..." Her voice was soft and incredulous as Saeyoung put his hand on the doorknob to Saeran's greenhouse, his lips curled into a cat-like grin almost like the Cheshire cat’s. "Why not? You two defiled my baby cars. I can give you a good time in his greenhouse room."

The redhead pushed the door open, a waft of humid air coming out before he pulled her inside past the thick sheet of plastic with a slit through it that served as a second door. Ari was the one to remember to close the other door, so as to keep more heat from slipping out. As she did so, Saeyoung's hands were on her. She pressed her hands against the door as his hands traveled over her body, down over her breasts, shaping her sides and hips, around her legs to slide up between her thighs. "You've been a very naughty Kitten, Ari."

She had a good bit of willpower, but Ari could already feel it slipping. Still, she clung to her stubbornness, responding in a curt tone. "Aren't you the naughty one? You followed us on your brother's date." Saeyoung nuzzled into her neck, giving a harsh bite that made her cry out before he spoke again. "Remember, we don't talk about each other while we're making love." His tone now had a lot less purr to it. She knew that it made them uncomfortable when it came to that aspect of their relationship. It had been hard enough to get them to _both_ date her rather than having to choose and hurt the other or choosing neither and living with unrequited love on both sides. Saeyoung in particular had been difficult, because he thought he didn’t deserve happiness himself, only to make his brother happy. Ari nodded, feeling Saeyoung smile against her neck. "That's my girl."

His hands were rough in their exploration of her body, gripping, pinching, and on more than one occasion, smacking her bottom before giving a rough squeeze. With every pass he made, he seemed to get rougher, building the heat in her up slowly, making her whimper louder and louder. That was his game. He was trying to make her beg him for it. Saeyoung always liked to hear her beg. Even if she begged just right, he would probably still just make her beg harder until he couldn't stand it himself any longer. His patience was far stronger than Saeran's, so she could be in for a long time of pleasure. Not that she minded.

Saeyoung shifted away from her, and she nearly pressed back against him before she heard it, clothes dropping to the ground of the greenhouse floor. "It's hot in here, isn't it?" She had to admit that it was, but the greenhouse room had been specifically modified for that purpose, so that Saeran could grow specialty plants year-round, as was his hobby. Now she tensed as she felt Saeyoung's fingers on her shoulders, slowly pulling down the straps of the dress she'd changed into for him. "Let's get you out of these uncomfortable clothes, then."

It always made Saeyoung feel embarrassed thinking about the things he said and did while they were making love after the fact, but right now, he was in his element. Watching her tremble as he pulled away her dress, shortly thereafter removing her bra, was an ecstasy in itself. He ghosted his hands over her breasts, teasing her nipples lightly with his fingers before he pinched them between his thumb and forefinger, pulling and rolling them. Ari moaned loudly, probably much more loudly than she'd intended, pressing her hips back as her bottom met the bulge contained in his boxers. Saeyoung groaned low, rubbing his arousal against her there before he removed his hands from her breasts, taking her wrist to turn her around and kiss her hard.

She absolutely lost her breath as his tongue roughly searched her mouth, only meeting it with her own once her brain could catch up with what was happening. That always tended to happen with him, getting lost in the pleasure before he completely changed directions. Saeyoung broke away, his eyes glowing even in the bright light of the room. "Come with me, Kitten." He pulled her along deeper into the area of the greenhouse, towards a little area of blankets where Saeran would often read. Those would need to be changed after this, then. Saeran would be angry enough at his brother's choice of payback, anyway.

The redheaded brother nodded towards the blankets, directing her to lie down before he crawled down over her, catching her lips with his once more as he ground against her heat now. Thanks to her earlier fun with her other boyfriend, Ari felt twice as sensitive, moaning against his lips as Saeyoung moved. It felt like an eternity as he kept up his slow grinding, her arms wrapping around him tightly as one hand tangled in his unruly red locks and the other gripped at his back. She couldn't take it, breaking the kiss, all stubbornness and will to hold out gone. "Please, Saeyoung...I'm burning up."

He cocked his head at her, yellow eyes seeming to glow all the more. "What was that, Kitten? You're burning up?" Saeyoung shifted to remove her panties. "Any better?" Ari shook her head. This was so frustrating. Her boyfriend knew exactly what he was doing, and Ari lifted her head to glare at him. He loved those big beautiful blues of hers, but now she was dragging him to her with his hair, moving her own hips to grind up against _him_. Yep, the stubborn attitude had definitely come back. Saeyoung tangled his own hand in her hair, slipping his boxers off with the other as best as he could with her grinding against him. It was just too good, and teasing either of them any further was moot at this point.

Saeyoung thrust into her swiftly, his thick size making her cry out and gasp, pulling away from the rough kiss she'd placed on him. Too bad for her that he wasn't letting her get away with that. His mouth was on hers again, stealing her breath all over again as he picked up a rough and deep pace. Saeyoung put a hand on her thigh to hold it in place, keeping her from meeting his hips with her own to change the pace. As much as he loved the way that felt, it was nice to dominate over her and know that she was his.

He broke the kiss when he was good and ready, not letting go of her hip and pulling her hair to force her head back. Glowing yellow eyes met hers briefly when she managed to force them open, her own darkened like deep pools that he could fall into as she looked up at him through her thick, dark lashes. That was so sexy. Saeyoung pressed hot kisses down her jaw, biting here and there before he made it to her neck. The bites started to get harder, leaving marks of rough red which would turn purple.

Ari whimpered and moaned his name with every mark he placed. It would anger Saeran; she knew that. Generally, Saeran liked to keep her skin clean and white as snow, but Saeyoung was far more pleased by laying claim and ownership, making her whimper from the blurred line between pleasure and pain. The further he went, the harder he bit, and Ari further tangled her hands in his hair, nails nearly digging into his back from the rough experience that was building them each towards a chaotic downfall of pleasure.

It wasn't long before she toppled over that edge of pleasure, Saeyoung falling right after her as he thrust harder, just a few deep pushes to finish as she clung to him, crying out his name as he did the same. As they both lay there, curled up with one another, they heard a voice on the other side of the door, a harsh knock nearly drowning it out. "Get out of my greenhouse! What are you doing with my plants?"

***

So, Saeran had been angry, and after they’d each gotten dressed, Saeyoung spent some time capitulating at his brother before Ari could stop them. It felt like her eyes were about to fall closed and never open again, but she leaned on Saeyoung in hopes of staying upright. "You still have a few hours...Can we please just cuddle in bed?" Her exhaustion silenced the white-haired twin, and with a goofy grin, Saeyoung stuck his tongue out at Saeran, picking Ari up to take her back to his room. Saeyoung neatly nuzzled into her after laying her down in the mess of blankets, but Ari barely processed it as her eyes really did close.

She felt so heavy. Her entire body felt ridiculously heavy. It had been a long day, and it wasn't even over. Wasn't she...supposed to...stay awake? That was just too bad, because she felt sleep claim her almost as soon as that thought had slipped from her. Saeyoung just chuckled. His Kitten sure was sleepy, but then again, so was he. How had he gotten so lucky? _They_ gotten so lucky? Ari gave Saeyoung a renewed purpose, a world where he didn’t have to be dangerous or seeking for Saeran. She made his brother so happy, too. How could he ever repay her for that? The redhead had no clue, nuzzling her for a moment before pressing a kiss to her nose. He'd passed out before long as well, legs tangled with hers.

***

An alarm was going off somewhere, although he wasn't entirely sure where until he walked out into the living room. Saeran narrowed his eyes at his brother's door, moving to open it slowly. Ari seemed to be stirring in her sleep, Saeyoung completely out as usual. With a little sigh, the white-haired brother turned off the alarm on his girlfriend's phone, signaling the end of their birthday and her date with Saeyoung. Ari seemed to be falling right back asleep.

Her dark hair was spilling out behind her, and as always, she looked beautiful sleeping there. His brother just looked like an idiot. Saeran rolled his eyes as Saeyoung seemed to flop out more onto his stomach, spreading like a starfish as Ari grabbed for the former's arm. He watched them for a little longer before he heard her soft voice mumbling. "Happy...birthday...Saeyoung, Saeran..."

His heart fluttered oddly, and he moved almost on instinct, walking towards the bed and sinking in behind her, stroking her hair back before nuzzling into her neck. It was full of his brother's marks, but so be it. Ari belonged to each of them in her own right, and she had given them both something beautiful neither had had before. This was the best birthday they could ever have had, and now she deserved to rest, seeing as they had each worn her out. He closed his eyes, taking a deep breath as he, too, fell asleep.

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	4. Batter Battles

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Saeyoung and Saeran want to give Ari as great of a birthday as she gave them. Of course, they can't keep from arguing. Ari ends up returning home to quite the cake war.

***I was commissioned again by @kittysymphony on tumblr! This is a continuation of the previous chapter in this work. Kitty asked me for some adorable fluff birthday fun, and this was the result ~Let’s Connect! FFC***

Saeyoung squinted at the recipe book. Not that he needed to - he had his glasses on, but he didn't really understand what the difference between 'tsp' and 'tbs' was. He wasn't a terrible cook; he just...never cooked. Baking was something he did even more rarely.

A soft, "Tch," got his attention as Saeran rolled his mint-colored eyes. "Well, if you're so much better, then you give it a try. My sweet, sweet brother baking. It warms my heart!" Saeyoung put his clenched hands up by his face under his chin, his expression much like that of an excitable cat-character in an anime. Saeran had an obvious blush on his face, even though his expression was one of anger. "Stop acting like an idiot. I can make a much better cake than you."

The younger twin reached out for the mixing bowl, but Saeyoung grabbed for the shiny silver object and pulled it away - holding it up above his own head like it was some sort of magic goblet. "Ah, ah, ah. You make your own batter. It's a challenge now." Saeran had to press a hand to his temple, trying not to explode with how ridiculous his brother was being.

"Would you stop that? You're getting batter all over the floor!" There was already batter everywhere. Saeyoung wasn't exactly handy with a mixer. "This is a big deal. Ari gave us a good birthday, and now we need to give her one, too." It always felt like his brother never took anything seriously, and it was a great source of frustration for Saeran - especially when it came to something so important for their shared girlfriend.

There had been a bright gleam of mischief in Saeyoung's eyes, but the redheaded twin was now losing that gleam as he slowly placed the bowl back on the counter. The action made a soft smooshing sound as the bowl squished down some of its lost batter. "I know." His voice had turned serious. Saeran had to pause, completely taken aback by the shift in mood as his brother went on. "She takes really good care of us, really good care of you."

Saeyoung had a lot of walls, they both did, and Saeran couldn't help but find it unsettling every time those walls started to come down. He looked away, his pale bangs falling to cover his eyes as he tried to think of what he was supposed to say to that. His brother was opening up to him, and he was at a complete loss. Just a second ago, he'd been angry, but now he was getting frustrated for a different reason.

Ever since they'd made up, it was hard for them both to know how to be of any comfort to each other. Saeyoung had always been the one to take care of him, too - not the other way around. "Just stop being an idiot and get back to work on her cake." The sentence had barely just been mumbled out, but Saeran already felt like it wasn't any real form of encouragement.

Saeran turned his head to peek from under his bangs with mint-colored eyes, but apparently, he'd said the right thing. Saeyoung fished his wooden spoon from the mixing bowl, flicking it up into the air and causing more batter to splatter onto the kitchen floor. "Of course! The cake!" The pale-haired twin felt like he was starting to get irritated again. How could Saeyoung always get over everything so quickly?

A clean mixing bowl was shoved at him, and Saeran's eyes widened in confusion and mixed annoyance. "What the-" As he looked up at Saeyoung, he realized that his brother wasn't _over_ it. He'd just decided to barrel ahead full speed despite his insecurities. Saeran would never admit how amazing he thought that was - he couldn't do that kind of thing himself.

"You should make your own batter! Then we can see who makes the best cake." Saeyoung had a broad smile on his face - even though, inside he didn't feel nearly as confident. Saeran probably _was_ the better baker. As they each started on their cake, the soft, "Tch," his brother made felt like a bucket of cold water had been dumped on Saeyoung's head.

He just wanted to give Ari the best birthday, but he wasn't any good at this kind of stuff. Still, he couldn't let himself stay down and out about it, because that would force Saeran to have to take care of him. His brother had been through too much for Saeran to be worrying about him. No, he should only be able to see the happy side, so that he wouldn't have to struggle or be sad.

The next thing he knew, Saeran's hand had closed over his own as he went to grab the sugar. "Saeran? What-?" Saeran just took the little container from him before handing Saeyoung another. "You were about to pour in salt. Tch..." The redhead looked down at his batter dejectedly. "Oh...Maybe I should just let you do it, huh?~" His voice was cheery despite the fact that he was feeling like a failure. Maybe there was something else he could do for Ari's big day, but he wasn't doing a good job now.

Saeran eyed his brother before he placed the salt back down on the counter -somehow finding an area without batter. "We should make her one big cake instead of two." That felt so unnatural to him, working _together_ with his brother, but Saeyoung was just going to keep moping otherwise. Saeran couldn't help but think maybe it would be a nice experience, too - though he'd never admit it. The redheaded twin's vibrant yellow eyes widened, a little sparkle appearing in them as his grin became genuine. "Working together with my bro? Sounds like a blast."

***

Ari sighed heavily, placing her purse down next to the bunker door and flicking her dark hair behind her shoulder. Saeyoung had led her on a wild goose chase after some weird part around town. In the end, she'd had the thought to contact Vanderwood, and the agent just happened to have the part on-hand. Though, it was only through her stubborn attitude that she'd managed to get the brunet to hand it over.

A smile played across her face. Wouldn't Saeyoung be proud she'd gotten back so soon with the item he'd requested? Her blue eyes were sparkling at the thought of the appreciative kiss he would give her, the way Saeran would scoff before she would go to give the smaller twin a kiss as well. Then she'd see him blush so sweetly as he tried to hide behind his bangs. Ari loved her life with the boys, but just as she was about to call out to them, she heard their raised voices in the kitchen.

That was the one part that was sometimes stressful about dating them both. Then again, even if she weren't dating them both, they would argue. Ari shook her head, walking towards the kitchen to find out what the argument was about this time. Saeran was complaining as she approached. "Be more careful; you got some on me, Saeyoung!" Deep blue eyes widened as she took in the scene of the messy kitchen - Saeyoung intentionally flicking a wooden spoon full of some goopy material at his brother and earning an angry glob back. Except that, Saeyoung had ducked.

She didn't have time to react, still in a shocked silence as she was trying to figure out what was happening. It was like the world was in slow motion for Saeyoung as he saw the look of shock on Saeran's face. His brother had gone completely quiet, frozen. "Saeran? What is it?" Saeyoung followed Saeran's gaze, further questions freezing in his throat as he saw just what it was. There was their girlfriend - using a single finger to slowly and carefully shove away the batter that had gotten on her eye and then flicking it off her finger to the ground.

"Oh God, Ari! I'm so sorry!" He was about to rush to her side when she shook out her head and started to laugh. It was comical. The looks on their faces were equal parts adorable and ridiculous. Ari just couldn't help the giggles that escaped. "What are you doing?" Saeyoung immediately replied to her question, "Nothing," while Saeran looked away - holding a hand over his face as he blushed. How were they supposed to explain they were trying to make her a cake for tomorrow's festivities?

Ari only laughed louder now, approaching them and wrapping her arms around Saeran to give him a quick hug. He stiffened nervously before relaxing into her warmth. She leaned over to place a kiss to Saeyoung's stunned and sweets-covered cheek. "Whatever you're doing...I want in." That was when she made her move, scooping up some of the goop and pressing it into Saeyoung's neck before running away.

Suddenly, the kitchen was filled with commotion as the sticky concoction got tossed back and forth. Saeyoung was doing the best - on the offensive as he tossed glob after glob. Saeran appeared to be trying to avoid it for the most part - though every time he got the opportunity, he would attempt to get Saeyoung in the back of the head. Ari kept up with dodging the sugary mess, trying to get in a hit whenever she could on either of them. They were all starting to get exhausted, and the room was filled with laughter by the time Air felt her foot slipping out from under her as her shoe met with a particularly large glob.

A combined, "Watch out!" was the only thing she heard before she landed on a surprisingly soft surface - which turned out to be Saeyoung's back. The redhead had dived for her, sliding across the slippery floor to land under her upper body as Saeran had grabbed her hand - keeping her from falling any further backwards to potentially harm her head. The white-haired twin was panting hard, terror in his eyes. Ari gave him a smile, moving her other hand to stroke the back of his lightly before she gave it a little tug. "Join us on the floor, Saeran." Her voice was soft, though Saeyoung ended up teasing. "Yes, brother dear. The weather is delightful down here."

Ari didn't bother to suppress her giggle as Saeran gave a soft, "Tch," per the usual. The smaller twin laid his own head in her lap as she moved to lay her head more on Saeyoung's back, running her fingers through Saeran's hair where there were little specks of batter. Batter...she now properly realized what it was. "Were you trying to make a cake?"

When neither of them responded, she just closed her eyes and smiled up at the ceiling. That was why Saeyoung had sent her out for that part, then. It had to be meant for her birthday. "Thank you...I really liked my cake. It was fun." Saeyoung shifted a little underneath her head reaching for her other hand. The position was a little awkward, but she didn't mind. "It probably tasted awful, anyway." His little joke made Saeran stiffen up. "Speak for your part of it. I can probably still bake some of mine."

Ari felt like her heart was swelling as the two started to bicker again. They'd gone through quite a bit of trouble to try to make her birthday special, then. That mattered a lot more than whether there was actually cake to eat or not.

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